Several years ago, I was told an inspirational story of an eaglet that was hatched in a nest of turkey eggs. The eaglet was taught by his turkey parents and peers to scratch in the dirt, emit a screeching attempt at a gobble, and act like a turkey.
As the eagle matured, he looked up at the eagles soaring high above and longed to be one of them. He dreamed of living above his circumstances. If only he had been born an eagle instead of a turkey, he thought. Because he received daily feedback from his peers that he was a turkey, however, he believed it and continued to scratch in the dirt, while daydreaming of a better life. The moral of the story is that what you believe about your identity will ultimately determine the way in which you live.
This special issue of Glaucoma Today celebrates the groundbreaking publication's 10th anniversary as well as the promising advances in microinvasive glaucoma surgery. Under the visionary leadership of David Cox, Adam Krafczek, Gillian McDermott, first chief medical editor Richard Lewis, MD, and the rest of the BMC team, GT has evolved into the leading glaucoma publication for physicians. As we prepare for 2013 at GT, we are planning to further develop creative, multimedia educational resources to better meet the needs of our readership. Settling for the status quo has never been and never will be a part of the DNA of GT's leadership. Living with the turkeys simply is not an option.
In parallel, I think it is important that glaucoma clinicians continue to push the envelope to advance patients' glaucoma care. Clinging to filtration surgery as the ultimate in glaucoma surgery, complaining bitterly about changes in the glaucoma treatment paradigm, and demonstrating unjustifiably negative attitudes toward individuals committed to innovation are analogous to trying to convince eagles that they are turkeys.
We clinicians should strive to provide the very best in terms of personal experiences and quality of care for all of our patients. After all, we cannot soar with the eagles if we choose to live with the turkeys.
